Infraction: An Infraction is an
offense for which the only penalty is a fine. An infraction is not a
crime. You may pay your infractions or plead not guilty by
mail. Infractions are described in the Connecticut General Statutes
Section 51-164n.

Violation: A Violation is an offense for which the only sentence authorized is a
fine. Some violations require a court appearance; some can be paid by
mail. Connecticut General Statutes 51-164n(b) lists payable violations.
Violations are described in the Connecticut General Statutes Section
53a-27.
For more information: If your question is not answered below, please contact
the Centralized Infractions Bureau (CIB) Customer Service Unit at 860-263-2750, Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00.

If you pay your ticket, it will be considered a plea of Nolo Contendere (no
contest), which means that you do not admit or deny the charges.

Nolo Contendere has a similar legal effect as pleading guilty.

Your ticket will be reported to the Connecticut Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles. If you are an out-of-state driver, your home state will be
notified of the case disposition by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

OR

Plead Not Guilty:

If you plead Not Guilty, your case will be transferred to court. You will be sent a
Notice of Transfer from the Centralized Infractions Bureau in the mail. It
may be several months before your case is scheduled.

2. How long do I have to
respond to my ticket?You must respond by the Answer Date on your ticket - the Answer Date is
assigned by the police officer who issued the ticket.

If you do not pay in full or plead Not Guilty by the Answer Date, your case
will be transferred to court.

If your ticket is for a motor vehicle matter, we will notify the Department
of Motor Vehicles that you have failed to pay or plead Not Guilty.

The DMV will suspend your driver’s license.

You will be required to pay a reopening fee of $60.00 to the Clerk of the
Court where the ticket was issued, in addition to the original amount due.
You may also be required to pay a $175.00 fee to the Department of Motor
Vehicles to have your driver’s license reinstated.

If your ticket is for a non-motor vehicle infraction and you fail to pay in
full or plead Not Guilty, your case will be transferred to court, an arrest
warrant will be issued, and a bond for your release may be set by the court.
This will add the charge of "Failure to Pay or Plead" to your original
charge.

If you pay your ticket, it will be considered a plea of Nolo Contendere (no
contest), which means that you do not admit or deny the charges, and has a
similar legal effect as pleading guilty.

The ticket will be reported to the Connecticut Commissioner of Motor
Vehicles. If you are an out-of-state driver, your home state will be
notified of the case disposition by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

By mail: You may mail the total amount due by check or money order to CIB at
P.O. Box 5044, Hartford, CT 06102-5044.

When remitting payment, be sure to include your ticket or the Failure to Respond Notice.

Use the self-addressed envelope provided with your traffic ticket. If you
did not receive your envelope, or lost it, mail your payment in full to the
Centralized Infractions Bureau, P.O. Box 5044, Hartford, CT 06102-5044.

Make checks and money orders payable to "Clerk of Superior Court",
and write the ticket number on the check or money order.

Never mail cash.

No payment plans are available. Full payment is required on or before the
Answer Date.

You cannot pay the fine for one charge and plead Not Guilty to other charges.

When your Not Guilty plea is received, the Centralized Infractions Bureau will transfer your case
to a Superior Court location for the geographical area where your ticket was
issued.

You may have to go to court.

If your ticket was issued in certain locations of the state where there are
Regional Motor Vehicle courts, you may be able to provide a written response
to a prosecutor who may or may not nolle your case. If
your case is nolled, the charges are dropped. If it is
not nolled you will have to appear at the court.

The local court will send you a notice giving you a court hearing date.

Questions about court procedure should be directed to the court clerk.

The court hearing location is based on the town where the ticket was issued.

The court address and courtroom number will be included on your hearing notice.

Mail in the ticket: Follow the instructions on the back of the ticket to
enter a Not Guilty plea by mail. Be sure to sign the ticket. Use the
envelope provided to mail in your plea.

By telephone: You may plead Not Guilty by telephone if you are the defendant
and the police officer's copy of the ticket (called the "court original")
has been received and entered into the computer system at the Centralized
Infractions Bureau. Call 860-263-2750, Monday-Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Find out what courtroom your case is in. Check
the lists of scheduled cases called "posting dockets." Cases are listed
alphabetically with last names first. Cases are grouped by type of case.
The lists are usually on a bulletin board or wall in the front lobby of
the courthouse.

Talk to the state's attorney (prosecutor) about
your case.

When your case is called, stand and go to the
front of the courtroom.

If you do not understand something the judge or
the state's attorney says, or if you have a question, ask the judge.

If you go to court and you are found guilty, the total amount you will have
to pay will be more than the fine amount set by the judge or magistrate. For
example, if you go to court on a charge of failing to obey a stop sign, and
the judge finds you guilty, the total amount due will be the fine plus other
court costs and fees set by state statute.

Be sure to pay the fine at the clerk's office or cashier's office on or
before the due date. Personal checks are only accepted when the name and
current address is pre-printed on the check and the check writer has a valid
picture ID. A check cannot be for more than $800.00. Checks should be
payable to the “Clerk of Superior Court.”

If you make your payment in full and your case
disposes at the Centralized Infractions Bureau, no points will be
assessed by the Department of Motor Vehicles against your driver's
license. However, the ticket will appear on your driving history.

Points are only given if there is a conviction (a
finding of guilty) or a bond forfeiture, after a court hearing.

Points are assessed by the Connecticut DMV. For
more information about the Connecticut DMV, call Driver Services at
860-263-5720 for general information, or visit the
DMV website.

14. Will my insurance company find out
about my ticket and raise my insurance premium/rates?

Insurance companies usually check driver's
histories before issuing a new policy. Your driver's history will show
if you have paid a fine for a motor vehicle infraction or violation, or
if a court has found you guilty of an infraction or violation.

Decisions about insurance rates and premiums are
up to the insurance company.

The courts do not suspend or reinstate driver's
licenses. That is done by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles.
Contact the DMV at 860-263-5720 for more information about license
suspensions or reinstatement. Or visit the
DMV website.

Convictions on certain charges automatically
result in license suspension. See below for a list of the statutes and
charges that will automatically result in license suspension. Remember,
paying the amount due is treated like a conviction.

The amount of time your license and/or
registration will be suspended is determined by your current driving
record. If you have more questions, please call Driver Services at
860-263-5720.

Your case will be treated the same as if you
lived in Connecticut. You will be mailed a notice about the court
hearing date. The location of your court hearing will be based on the
town where the ticket was issued.

If you fail to respond to the ticket, your home
state will suspend your driver's license.

Call the Centralized Infractions Bureau (CIB) at 860-263-2750 Monday-Friday, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
or e-mail at:
Centralized.InfractionsBureau@jud.ct.gov. You need to provide your name
and date of birth.